How to combat homesickness

Freshers fortnight is undoubtedly a highlight of the year for all new students at Warwick. New-found independence, parties every night at the SU, and of course, getting to know your new flatmates and coursemates are the perfect ingredients for two of the best weeks of your life. But at some point, the excitement dies down. Maybe it’s when your first attempt at cooking comes out of the oven as an inedible lump. Maybe it’s when the dreaded ‘freshers flu’ makes its appearance. Maybe it’s when that extra pint of purple you drank last night rears its ugly head the next morning. Eventually, like it or not, most students will feel a bit homesick.

It’s completely normal to feel homesick, especially if moving to university is your first time away from home. Around 70% of students suffer from homesickness, so chances are that most of your friends feel this way too. Homesickness is a type of separation anxiety – when an environment is completely unfamiliar, we can often become stressed and upset, since we don’t feel like an integrated part of a community. Humans have a psychological need to be part of a group, and when we move away from our home, we lose that sense of community.

Psychologists suggest several ways to combat this. If you’ve noticed that one of your flatmates seems a bit down, talk to them about it. You may find that they feel homesick too, and sharing these things with each other can help you become closer. The number one priority during freshers fortnight is to get out and make friends! This can seem like a very daunting task, especially if you’re shy, but everybody really is in the same boat. Societies and sports club can be a real help with this sort of thing. Studies have shown that working in groups towards a common goal is a very effective way of bonding with people. A team sport or a society that involves group activities will be especially good, though all societies will get you meeting and talking to all sorts of people.

Clubs and societies will also help you to feel more involved in university life. Being part of a larger community is very important to our mental health, but with the size of university compared to schools and sixth forms, it can seem like an impossible task. Being able to talk to other students about the activities you’re involved in will give you an identity that you can connect with your environment. Just as being a prefect or a netball player gave you a place in your school, being a society or club member will do the same at university.

Homesickness can manifest itself in all sorts of ways, from mental signs such as sadness and frustration, through to physical symptoms like sickness and loss of appetite. For some, it will start before they even arrive at uni, some may not see anything until after Freshers, and some may never be homesick at all. The important thing to remember is that whilst everybody is in a similar situation, not everyone will have the same reaction to it. For some, having a teddy bear or a photo of their family will help, whilst it will just make others more upset. Going home at the weekends can be good or bad, depending on who you are. Give yourself time to adjust to your new surroundings – university is a big, exciting journey. It’s not going to feel like home overnight.